Firearm



Patented Ian. l7, I899.

B. HEMMING.

FIREARM.

(Application filed. Apr. 25, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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UNTTE STATES ATENT rrrcn.

BENJAMIN I-IEMMING, OF NE\V HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 618,033, dated January 17, 1899.

Application filed April 2 5, 1 8 9 8 T0 aZZ whom it nuty concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN HEMMING, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the countyof New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in firearms; and it consists in certain details of construction relative to means for separably attaching gun-barrels to their stocks, which will be more fully set forth in the following specification.

To enable others to understand my invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a magazine-gun with my improved locking device attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a broken View of the barrel, magazine and receiver, showing the parts disconnected. Fig. 3 is a detail end elevation of the receiver, looking in the direction of arrow a of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detail sectional view of the receiver through line b of Fig. 2, showing the locking ring seated therein. Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of the locking-ring. Fig. 6 isa detail end elevation of barrel, magazine, and their connecting band or yoke, looking in the direction of arrow 0 of Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a detail broken view of the barrel, broken sectional view of the magazine and fore-arm, sectional view of the connecting-yoke, and view of the shell-retaining device attached to said magazine. Fig. 8 is a detail broken sectional view of the receiver and magazine and a sectional view of the yoke with the barrel and lockingring removed. This view represents the shellretaining'device depressed and the shells released, so as to pass into the receiver. Fig. 9 is a modified construction of the shell-retaining device. Fig. 10 is a detail end elevation of a receiver fora sin gle-barrel gun with my improved locking-ring attached thereto, broken view of the barrel, and means on said barrel and receiver whereby the barrel is prevented from turning, such means consisting of a key and key-seat.

Its construction and operation are as fol- 5o lows:

1 represents the receiver of an ordinary Serial No. 678,782. (No model.)

magazine-gun. In the forward part of this receiver is formed (see Fig. 8) the circular seat 2 to receive the locking-ring 3. (Shown at Figs. at and 5.) 4 is a handle portion of said ring, projecting through the opening 5, Fig. 8, of the receiver, so that by means of this handle the said ring may be rotated or partially rotated in its seat for the purpose to be hereinafter more fully described. This locking-ring is provided with the ordinary internal sectional threads 6 and the cut-away or clear spaces 7. The end of the barrel 8 is also provided with the sectional thread 9 and the clear spaces 10, as shown. In connecting the barrel to the receiver the locking-rin g is turned in the position shown at Figs. 3 and 4., so that the sectional threads on the barrel will enter the spaces 7 of the said ring without canting or turning the barrel. The end of the magazine 11 will also enter the opening 12 of the receiver at the same time. The locking-ring is then rotated in the direction of arrow d, Fig. 4, causingthe threads of said ring to engage with the threads of the barrel and securely lock the said barrel to the receiver. It will be observed (see Fig. 1) that the lower edge 5 of the opening 5 in the top of the receiver is low enough so that the handle or knob t of the locking-ring will not come in contact therewith. In other words, the cut 5 is made deep enough so that a firm engagement of the sectional threads of the locking-ring and barrel may be permanently insured. If required, double threads may be employed, which would insure a tight connection with but little rotative action of the locking-ring.-

13 is a curved spring attached to the side of the receiver by the screw 14, which spring keeps the locking-ring in place. On removal of the spring the said ring can be lifted out of its seat in the receiver. 14: is a projection on the outer surface of the said locking-ring, against which the end of the said spring may engage when the said ring is turned to lock the barrel. This latter feature is, however, not essential and may, if desired, be dispensed with, as its object is merely to preserve a circular continuity of the locking-ring and its spring with the rounded shape of the top of the receiver. Heretofore where this sectional thread feature has been employed for separably attaching gun-barrels to stocks a fixed sectional thread was formed in the stock or receiver as well as a sectional thread on the end of the barrel. This construction necessitated turning the barrel like an ordinary bolt to lock the threads ofthe several sections firmly together and an additional looking feature was required to keep the barrel in a certain upright position with respect to the sights on the barrel, so that after the-barrel had been screwed to the stock a few times the threads would become worn sufficiently to allow of more or less play or shuck in the threads.

In a magazine-gun the end of the magazine kvas threaded so as to engage the threaded mouth of the shell-channel of the receiver; but this of course did not obviate the difficulty above referred to, but it was the only way of applying this sectional thread feature to this style of gun. Before detaching the barrel of a magazine-gun it was necessary first to empty the receiver, as a shell lodged pa rtlyin the magazine and partly in the channel of the receiver would prevent the barrel being turned to unlock the thread connections.

In my improved construction the lockingring and not the barrel is turned, so that when the thread connections are disengaged the barrel and magazine are withdrawn in a straight line without any rotative action whatever, so that a shell situated as before mentioned will not interfere in the least with the separation of the two sections. .1 have also added a mechanical feature whereby the sections may be detached without emptying the magazine. This feature consists of the flat spring 15, (see Figs. 2, 7, and 8,) attached to the lower outer surface of the magazine by the screw 16. Projecting from the inner surface of this spring is the pin or catch 17, adaptedto pass through a small hole extending through the wall of the receiver. The

forward end 15 of said. spring is slightly turned out, so as to be engaged by the beveled end of the pin 18, rigidly secured to and projecting from the meeting face of the receiver, so that when the sectionsviz., the receiver and barrel and magazine-are connected together, as shown at Fig. 8, this pin will lift the forward end of the spring 15 and withdraw the projection 17 of such spring out of the passage-way of said magazine, leaving the shells free to pass therefrom to the receiver. As soon, however, as this connection between said pin and spring is broken by the removal of the barrel and magazine from the receiver the spring will instantly drop and the projection 17 will enter the passage-way of said magazine, engaging with the rim 19 of the shells 20 and effectually prevent their dropping out of the magazine, as shown at Fig. 7. The hole 22 is formed in lower part of the yoke 23, which yoke connects the barrel and magazine together to admit the pin 18. 2-1 is a recess formed in the fore-arm 25 to give sufficient play to the spring 15. I

In Fig. 9 is shown a modification of this shell-retainin g feature, which consists in prolonging the said spring, and thus doing away with the pin before mentioned. In this construction the hole 26 is formed in the end of the receiver 1, having the upper corner 26 beveled or rounded. In this case the said hole will be below the level of the locking-spring 15, so that in locking the barrel to the receiver the curved end 15 of the locking-spring will engage with said rounded corner 26 and depress the locking pin or projection 17.

WVhen, therefore, the two sections are de-v tached, the spring will instantly drop'as soon as it has cleared the said hole of the receiver and lock the shells in the magazine.

In Fig. 10 is shown a device for looking a single barrel against rotation when using my locking-ring. This feature consists of the key 27, placed under the barrel, and the key way or slot 28 formed in the stock 29. r

From the foregoing description it will readily be seen that my improvements for detaching the barrel from the receiver possesses manifold advantages over the present construction. The barrel and magazine are both coupled together, so that both are removed at the same time. The attaching ordetaching of the barrel and magazine from the receiver is done without interfering with the shell-retractor and that, too, whether the gun is cooked or uncooked, which cannot be done where the barrel rotates or partially rotates in order to unlock it. Besides, the advantage of being able to remove a full magazine, as above described, will be appreciated by all users of magazine-guns.

I do not wish to be confined to the exact construction shown for holding the shells in the detached magazine or the exact means for releasing the holding device when the sections are put together, as these features may be modified considerably without departing from the spirit of my invention. Neither'do I wish tobe limited to the exact location of the locking-ring, it being sufficient to say that it must be connected to the receiver or the barrel. If placed on the barrel, it would be necessary to have a short threaded projection on the receiver, but as this would simply be a change without effecting any new or beneficial results I consider myself entitled to use it either he handle or knob 4 may be lengthened or shortened, as desired, or it may be made to fold over so as to be out of the way when the sections are locked together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

having its interior provided with interrupted threads to engage those of said barrel, a semicircular recess or seat provided in the upper surface of the receiver for said locking ring, substantially as set forth.

2. The herein-described improvement in firearms of the character described, comprising, in combination, with the barrel having interrupted or sectional threads a lockingring having its interior provided with interrupted or sectional threads to engage those of said barrel, said locking-ring operatively mounted in a semicircular recess or seat in 

